Evolution
by Foxyinthecity
Summary: This is a series of vignettes highlighting the evolution of John and Teyla’s relationship done for my Secret Elf’s recipient, Ruby Casper on LJ.
1. A Future of of Possibilities

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Stargate Atlantis.

Title: **A Future of Possibilities**

Characters: John and Teyla

Words count: 1349

Type: Vignette

Summary: She wasn't quite sure what to think of John's suggestions, although she found them quite amusing, and she had the sneaking suspicion that John was in deed toying with her.

***

John Sheppard winced from the wound at his right side. The wound wasn't fully healed it had been a couple weeks. He suspected he would have some permanent scaring along with the memories. The wound was his memento, his reminder of their attempt and rescue of Teyla from Michael, frowning. The frown on his face was a common occurrence with any thoughts of Michael. Dr. Keller had ordered him to take it easy for a few weeks his repercussion from his injuries. He hadn't complained too much. He figured he owed the Doc one, anyway. The one, for him talking her into letting him go on the mission to rescue Teyla. In his mind, there weren't any thoughts of him not going on that mission even with the Doc advising him that he had needed surgery and a transfusion, but Keller could have been a major stumbling block as well as Colonel Carter.

Keller had advised him the best she could do was suture the wound for now, to give him some IV and plasma and to give him some medication for the pain, but she did advised him that his condition was on borrowed time. He had been graceful to her for what she did and keeping mum about his condition to Colonel Carter. Colonel Carter, who had seemed to have her own doubts about whether he was fit enough to go on the mission, but had not made too much of an issue of it. There is no doubt in his mind he would have gone against any order that Colonel Carter would have given him that would have prohibited him from going on the mission. And had pretty much stated that fact to her. He would have dealt with the consequences afterward as long as it meant saving Teyla. But in hindsight, he knows his condition could have become a liability to the mission and to his team mates. But failure wasn't an option.

So after an operation to repair his insides and a few weeks of recovery, things weren't too bad. Even if, it meant, he was stuck behind a desk. At least he wasn't in the infirmary anymore. He could finally make sure his mission reports were filed away. He could do some staff evaluations of his men, maybe change up some of the teams, and order a full diagnostic check of the city's security systems. Things he didn't have time to do before. He had a lot that could keep him busy. A thought occurred to him. John glanced down at his watch. He was supposed to meet up with Teyla and Torren John in a few minutes. John smiled. He felt a certain pride. Teyla felt him worthy to name her son after him although he had been more than a little surprise when Teyla first mention her choice of name for her son. "_Well, if it's all right with you, I was thinking of Torren John, after my father and after you." _He had been so honored, even with him being wheeled out of the room for surgery. Yeah, he was on his way to have major surgery and he had such a huge grin on his face. What a picture he must have been to the others there in the infirmary? And Rodney subsequent complaining since about how come Teyla named her son after him, John and not himself considering he was the one who helped with Torren's birth did give him some cause for amusement at Rodney's expense. John smirked at thought.

****

"Hey. Waiting long?" John asked as he took the seat opposite Teyla. Torren was in one of those Earth's baby carrying apparatus probably given to Teyla by someone in the city on the seat next to her. John took a peek at Torren. The kid seemed to be dosing off. He hadn't seen Teyla for a few days. Teyla had taken Torren to visit what remain of her people on the mainland.

"No, Torren and I have just arrived ourselves." "How are you feeling John?"

"Well, pretty good, I think. I mean, still have some limited movements at the moment, but the Doc said I'm recovering nicely."

John saw Teyla smiled, one of those smiles that seem to give her face an effervescent glow, a smile that somehow had been lost at the discovery that her people were missing. It was a smile that stirred responding emotions in him, emotions that should go nameless. To look deeper, to place a name on them would be to admit and he's still wasn't ready for that, yet it wasn't as simple as before.

Both John and Teyla looked at the other smiling, almost shyly. Then John watched the smile fade away from Teyla's face and in its place a thoughtful expression.

For Teyla, she was extremely happy that John was making such good progress. To hear the kind of condition John was in when he attempted to mount a rescue for her had awe her and brought on a little more hero worship of him, but she knew it was more than simply that. She thought she had gotten past those feelings she had for him sometime ago. No, she had fought to bury them, to act like they didn't existed. She tried to move on. She had tried to more on, with Kanaan, but she knows now that decision was not steep in wisdom.

She could truly never care for Kanaan, not the way she does and still cared for John. She saw that now. Had Kanaan survived Michael's experiments, what kind of future would they have had? Would it have been a union of passion and commitment? Now, she knew it could not, not even with the present of their son. She will grieve for Kanaan, for he gave her warmth, compassion and understanding when she had craved it. He was her friend before they became lovers for their brief moment of togetherness. Those memories she will cherish. Kanaan will live on through their son. That she will make certain of. Her future is with another. That is never more certain to her than now. She sees a future of possibilities. Teyla looked at John. Her face seems a little more serious.

"John, I, I want to..."

"Teyla, don't you go thanking me again." John quipped. Doesn't she know I would do anything for her John thought? Anything but tell her how you feel that is. That is the one fight that he still seems to shy away from still. But you almost lost her, his mind screamed at him.

"Alright then. But I want to thank you none the less."

"You thank me before remember. Maybe, you could find a different way to thank me you know." John offered teasingly. John was a little stun by what he said trying to hide his own surprise at his remarks. He saw Teyla's brow arched.

"Really?"

"Yeah, maybe you could..."

"I could what?" Teyla asked with some puzzlement.

John shrugged his shoulders then sat back in his chair, folding his arms around his chest, tilting his head up as if he was giving it some thought. "I don't know." He said, biting his teeth softly into his lower lips. John found he was actually enjoying teasing Teyla.

"Wait I have a few suggestions. It would be nice to get some flowers. Candy is nice too. Popcorn! Ever better."

John watched as Teyla sat back and looked at him questioningly.

Teyla frowned. She wasn't quite sure what to think of John's suggestions, although she found them quite amusing, and she had the sneaking suspicion that John was in deed toying with her. She did have a good grasped on the Earth's customs of giving flowers and candy. And it was usually customary for the man to give it to the female of his interest. Teyla looked at John who seemed to be trying not to smile, unsuccessfully. She rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"Wait I'm not done. There is the dinner date too." He grinned at her sheepishly.


	2. Changes

Title: **Changes**

Type: Vignette  
Words count: 1,810

Characters: Teyla and Teyla  
Summary: For her, the past several months were indeed a future of possibilities. Those possibilities involved changes, changes in all facets of her life.

***

The night air on her face was pleasing. The air was cool, but not overly chilly. The moon's light casting a florescent glow on the dark waters below as the moving waters of the ocean churned out a tune inevitably all its own. Teyla love these moments. They gave her time to think and reflect. In some ways, it was akin to meditation for her. Yet, tonight she was standing here assessing her life. For her, the past several months were indeed a future of possibilities. Those possibilities involved changes, changes in all facets of her life from being a mother to Torren, a guardian for Avani, to being a leader to her people, and being a team mate. And how those changes have affected her relationships with her friends and teammates particular John.

With Torren, she began to question the wisdom of returning to John's team with their lives always in peril with any mission they found themselves on. To leave her son without the only parent he has left. Torren would never know his father. _Should she expose him to a life that he may lose his mother too?_ _Could she really do that?_ That had weighted heavy on her mind. But it was Ronon who pointed out that their lives have always been in peril. No matter what she does or where she lives. Such is the life living in the Pegasus Galaxy. Where the threat of the Wraith still existed despite their best efforts to defeat them and that there were other threats to her son too, namely Michael besides any numbers of named diseases prevalent in the Pegasus Galaxy. Ronon's words had reminder Teyla why she had chose to stay on Atlantis and fight when her people did not.

Her people were all too familiar with the threats and dangers of the Pegasus Galaxy. That is why when she first met John and the others from Atlantis, she had seen the possibility of something more, unlike some of her people. Maybe it was the naivety of her youth. For in her experience, youth tend to embrace, to welcome and to demand change whereas the elder generation, the generation of experience tend to question the wisdom of embarking on such change or tend to fear or fight against such change.

Teyla knew she still wanted to fight for that change, a future where son would not have to fear the Wraith, so her return to John's team was decided. But they were other obstacles too. Michael's imprisonment and experiments of her people had left her people's numbers few. Illness, suffering, despair were not so easily shed by her people. Families destroyed in Michael's attempt to gain control of all in the Pegasus Galaxy and his quest to destroy the Wraith even it meant the killing of thousands and him not giving it an afterthought.

It has always been the ways of her people to provide homes or shelters and a new family unit to those youngest of her people who had suffered the lost of their parents. Charin provided that for her when she lost her father as a teenager. Now, Teyla found herself being that for Avani. Avani had first lost her father during the last Wraith's culling on Old Atho when the strangers from Atlantis had arrived on their planet. Then to only lose her mother because of Michael's experiments had orphaned the young Athosian teenager girl. Teyla had seen so much of herself in Avani. Avani although grieving the death of her mother and the age of youth was still a strong will and determine young woman. Passionate in her hopes for her future. Avani had been one of Teyla's gifted students. Avani had trained with Teyla whenever Teyla had visited with her people, so Teyla knew the young girl quite well. Avani had always expressed her desires to be more like Teyla, to travel to other worlds, to fight the Wraith to live the life more than a simple farmer. Although, at the time Teyla thought Avani was just exhibiting some form of hero worship and that it would eventually pass. The death of Avani's mother changed that. So Teyla felt Avani would be more adjusted with her, so she had put in a request that Avani join her on Atlantis. The request was granted by Mr. Woolsey. Avani's presence on Atlantis had been a blessing to Teyla in many ways including Avani eagerness to help Teyla with Torren. The young Athosian was hungry for knowledge. Many on Atlantis were quite taken with her even Rodney. Teyla suspected that Rodney would be hard press to admit it though.

A casted shadow appeared on the floor at the entrance of the balcony.

*****

John walked out onto the moonlit balcony. The corridors of the city had been mostly deserted due to the hour of the evening. The city was awash in a quiet calm. He paused as he saw Teyla's silhouette tuck away in the right corner structure of the city's wall with her hands resting against the railings. Teyla's face partially concealed in darkness, yet he could see the tendrils of hair blowing in the breezy night's air. She seems miles away. John felt a tightening in his chest. She was a vision of mystery and beauty. And for a moment he wondered whether if he should wait a little before he intruded on her. Then, he saw her look toward him as if she sensed his presence, smiling at him. He continued to walk toward her.

"Waiting long?" John asked as he stopped inches away of what would be considered reasonable space from Teyla, resting his own hands on the balcony's railings, giving Teyla a sideway glance.

"Not really." Teyla replied eyeing John.

"You seem to be miles away?"

"I guess I was. I was thinking how much my life… our lives have changed these past several months."

"I know." John said seriously for a moment, frowning as he thought about some of those changes his self as he glanced out at the vast open ocean, where the horizon kissed the florescent waters in the distance. Yet the visual was lost on him as his mind took him back to some unwanted memories.

John didn't want to think about those unwanted memories now. Not tonight, anyway when there were other things he would like to concentrate on. So he tried to clear his mind of those memories - memories at times that were jagged. Some he knew he will never forgot. Some he still found hard to forgive himself for because at times, the right or wrong answers got blurred into different shades of gray. Their lives these last few months had been the same as the last four years - endless days filled with life and death situations, discovery, and lost and he accepted whatever decisions he had made because they were to protect the lives of those it was his duty to protect. There would be some regrets with some of the decisions. He wishes he could save everyone he cared about or depended on him like Elizabeth, but as a solider he knows he can't, yet sometimes, he struggled with those regrets. But for a man like him who had face death too many times than he cared to count. Which had lead Rodney to proclaimed he had some kind of death wish with his increasing list of suicide missions. It was lying in the infirmary that gives a man some perspective. So unlike before, some changes he had allowed himself to grasp.

A lengthening silence surrounded John and Teyla. Teyla studied John in the pale light, his face reflecting the unhappiness of his thoughts. Teyla wanted to put her arms around him and pull him into her embrace to provide him some comfort. But she held back. Her hand did reach out and touch John's right arm. John left hand reached up and covered her hand lingering for a moment. The silence between them continued for a few second more.

"But, I think some changes are good." John finally said on a lighter note, a smile seem to be forming on his lips.

"You do. Do you?" Teyla questioned teasingly, smiling. She was well aware of the changes he was referring to, for she too was immensely happy with those changes as well. Her eyes were no longer guarded, no longer afraid to show him the depths of her feelings. And in his eyes, he freely showed his.

"I do." John responded as he turned, leaning against the railings to look at Teyla, his brow lifting suggestively, smirking.

"Hmm…I can see why you would."

"So where're the kids?" John asked.

"You know Avani would be a little upset with you if she heard you call her a kid. And Torren, Torren is spending the night with his requested babysitters."

"Requested babysitters?" John thought. Who would request such a duty? He loved Torren, but has the boy as gotten older he was like any other baby or child of that age. Then something else about Teyla's comment interrupted his thoughts of Torren. "Did you say for the night?"

"Yes, I did." Teyla replied with grin.

"Really! So you are free for the whole night then?" Anticipation began to build in John. He lifted up off the railing, inching a little closer into Teyla's space while Teyla acted like she didn't notice.

"Now that would kind of depend on you would it not?" Teyla quipped back, her brow arching.

John closed the space between him and Teyla further, moving to stand in front of her, his front almost touching hers as he looked down at her intently. His mouth twitched. "Now if it was up to me you wouldn't have any free nights." John stated with feelings. John saw Teyla's eyes opened wide. They had crossed that precipice of being more than just friend and teammates, but they rarely had the time alone to express, to explore or enjoy that change in their relationship. He was already a man starving for affection. That starvation was a little more torturous when you know that your desire was within in your reach but for it to still remain allusive.

Even though the lighting on the balcony was limited Teyla could see the intent in John's eyes. She felt her pulse quicken in response. John eyes were now focusing on her lips. Teyla felt a rush of heat engulfed her. John lowered his gaze to the deep v-shaped of her top, watching its rise and fall, grinning, and then his hands suddenly snaked around Teyla pulling her flush against him, molding her against his frame. Teyla found her own arms went up and tighten around John's neck.

"Hmm that better..." John murmured. His head descending as his lips sort to claimed Teyla's.


	3. A Touch of Contrast

Title: **A Touch of Contrast**

Characters: John/Teyla

Type: Vignette

Words: 313

Summary: It seems that the contrast went beyond a touch.

***

Teyla felt the warmth of his hand before she felt his fingers and hand covering and touching hers, his fingers lacing through her fingers' tips, clasping their hands together. A smile formed on her lips from the gesture. Reluctantly, her hand and fingers slowly loosen their hold, turning over her hand; palm to palm their hands touch, clasping together once again as her eyes leave the outline of his features to look down at their united hands resting on the seat between them.

Moments later, John's hand is slowly perusing her hand, his thumb playing a soft cord along the soft skin of her hand down to the tip of her fingers. The palm of her hand is soft to his touch yet it still carried the evidence of a life filled with hardship and hard work, while his was lined with deepening hills and valleys, his keepsakes of a life bounded by his career in the military and a life on Earth he doesn't want to revisit.

This was a stark contrast from the first time he had tried to touch her hand while they were on the Daedalus on their mission to rescue Ronon from the Wraith. Although, he had reached out to touch her hand back then, it was a John Sheppard that had found it hard to express his feelings. That John Sheppard and the John Sheppard who is holding her hand now, are still the same reflections. Yet as his muffled admissions on the Daedalus had conveyed to her then her importance in his life, so too their entwined fingers now.

Her stealing glance is now looking back into John's eyes, eyes of molten green and tinted gold with simmering passion in their depths. With this touch conveying their commitment to the other, John's eyes revealing a deeper meaning. It seems that the contrast went beyond a touch.


End file.
